A fellow blogger emailed me on the side to ask what happened to the Mr. & Mrs. IOH saga and my previous job of taking care of this beloved elderly couple. As some of you know Mr. IOH passed away on Good Friday this past March. On the very day his wife, Mrs. IOH came home from the hospital/rehab from a broken hip and was happy to be home and get back on her feet again.

A few blog posts here and there have hinted upon how quickly her health deteriorated since her husband's death. It was a very difficult time for her most of all, but emotionally and physically draining for me as well.

Mrs. IOH had passed away on June 5th. A week after we moved into our new house. Two days after Squirt's last day of Pre-K and on to summer vacation. Three days before Jon was to finally graduate college.

That week my entire life as I've known it for the past four years, screeched to a sudden halt.

I've yet to write about it. I've yet to find the right words. I've yet to have closure. Mrs. IOH was a true and trusted friend and I loved her so much. Her family hasn't buried her or had a service yet and it has been over two months.

I'm dealing, but barely.

I will find the words, but for now they are all just so big that I can't fit them easily in a 10 minute read blog post. However, I do assure you - they will come.

My younger brother died suddenly 4 years ago--alone--in Washington D.C. We hadn't heard from him for a few days so I flew up there; had to break into his house, and found him on the floor of the living room, his dogs standing guard over his body. Obviously, I freaked, couldn't sleep for days, cried my eyes out pretty much non-stop for 2 weeks.

BUT--and this is why I told you that--it gets better, over time. I know you don't want to hear that but it's true. So, give in to all the stages of grieving and let it out; that's the right way and the smart way. And little by little, the pain ebbs.